Hi Everyone!

A few people have been pestering me to put up a blog, particularly myself, since I know longer exist on Facebook. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to actually post something on this thing. I created this space about a month ago and even wrote an entry… then proceeded to misplace it. Along with that entry went all my interest in blog writing. UNTIL NOW!! (because I’m tired of studying) So now you all are going to get a small snippet of my life in Japan and why I am a terrible person and don’t bother conversing with much of anyone back home.

Where am I? I live in Nango-cho, Miyazaki-ken, Japan.

It is a beautiful place, far removed from the technical wonderland of Tokyo. Nango is a town of 10,000 people, with the two nearest cities sporting populations of 30,000 each and spread out over a territory much wider than New York City. The major industry here is lumber, which would make sense since any plot of land not already occupied by a house is infested with trees, the mountains look like cauliflower. We’re right by the ocean, with beautiful, craggy, volcanic islands dotting the sea. Standing on the veranda outside my house, sipping pina coladas which my butler/pool cleaner Enrique made for me, I have a perfect view of one of the two harbors in town, which small fishing ships regularly putter out of. The people here are friendly and communicative, but rough in the English department… if you like doing more than nodding and grunting when communicating, I recommend learning Japanese before you come here. My closest Japanese friends consist of people 20-30 years my senior, almost all of whom have children my age or older who currently work/go to school in the major cities of Japan.

What do I do here? I’m an Assistant Language Teacher, working for the city. That means I visit all of the Elementary and Middle schools in town, which the local Board of Education oversees. When I am not out visiting, I am at the Board of Education's offices, near rice paddies and the other of the two town harbors. I sit next to the head of my department, who goes by the nickname Mr.Strict. On the second day of work, I gave Mr. Strict bright yellow underpants with “California” scrolled all over… we’ve been buddy buddy ever since. I also teach an 'English Sentence a Day' which everyone at the office is SUPER EXCITED ABOUT! They're so excited, several of them have consistently told me that it would be ok for me not to do it, because I look 'tired'. We just finished learning 'Yesterday' by the Beatles, and we sang it with all the force of a funeral dirge. Today we're having an Enkai (welcome party... two months after I got here) and the plan is to get them to karaoke Yesterday.

During my free time, I've undertaken Kendo, which was apparently founded in my prefecture. My teacher is the dojo owners father, a 70 year old man who eerily resembles Mr.Miyagi from the Karate Kid. He's lightning fast with a wooden sword but he's like the turtle in that tootsie pop commercial when it comes to talking/explaining things. That especially stinks when he's making us sit seiza (having your legs folded under you as you sit... hurts A LOT if you're not used to it). Sometimes it hurts so bad that I want to get up and start miming him in a rude and slanderous manner; the only thing holding me back is the fact that I've lost the ability to get up.

Kendo is one of the many martial arts/sports in Japan that contain the word 'do' or Way/Road in their name. This is part of the reason why I undertook it, the idea is that you are learning discipline, humility and proper manners, even as you learn to cut people in half with your mind.

The reason why I have temporarily quit facebook (If you hadn't noticed; I quit facebook) is a drive to minimize my encounters with English. It's part of a full immersion program that this guy recommends. So forgive me if I've seemed a little distant lately, it's not that I hate you, it's that you can't speak to me in fluent Japanese... and if you CAN speak to me in Japanese, well... send me an email .


Sorry to cut this short but I'm going out drinking with my coworkers! Hope you're all fat and sassy!


Jonathan